“Good Kids” and “Miracle”

Good Kids, Naomi Iizuki’s new play, premiered on October 2nd at the University of Michigan. A profound and condemning production, “Good Kids” outlines what happens when a girl (Chloe) gets repeatedly raped by football players after a high school party and her journey towards justice and dealing with what has occurred. A significant scene during the play is when the protagonist realizes that the media is turning the incident into one where star football players with potential are being forever set-back due to some insignificant “slut”. When Hobbes and his ideals about the laws of nature are applied to this scene, one can see clearly that Hobbes would condemn both the media and the football players, as the preservation of peace should be the ultimate goal. The accused act in such a way to clear their names, but, in the end, all that is doing is prolonging the chaos and tragedy of the victim and those supporting her.

Miracle, a cinematic classic about the 1980 Winter Olympics U.S. men’s hockey team, details the events leading up to an underdog U.S. team’s (consisting mostly of college players) upset over world favorites, the Soviet Union. An intensely emotional and moving piece, Miracle displays a passion for sports that overcomes the chaos of competition, utilizing athletics as a means to bring people together. During a time when the Cold War was still very ongoing, this was even more applicable. Hobbes would shed a tear for Miracle as not only is peace attained, in a sense, by the overcoming of impossible odds and winning the gold medal, but the defense of one’s interests is confirmed and maintained by the U.S. as they secured their claim to superiority (political and athletic) against the Soviet Union.

Thomas Hobbes’ Leviathan displays his stance on the breaching of peace and lack of security in one’s interests. With his first and second laws of nature, it can be observed that the actions taken by the football players and their associates in Good Kids only created chaos and more insecurity in a bright future. These laws also demonstrate how Miracle is a testament to utilizing sports as a means of bringing people together and guarding what is most important to a person.